


Something changed

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-24
Updated: 2006-11-24
Packaged: 2019-05-15 20:32:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: With Josh, Sam, Will and Leo gone, Toby gets closer to CJ. Rated mature for the last chapter where things get a bit steamy.





	1. Something changed

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: First CJ/T- my favourite ship. Please send feedback I'd love to know what you think. Thanks!  


* * *

Something changed

He didn’t know when things changed for him. 

It was natural, he assumed, for the intimacy to grow between them- between all of them, given the number of hours a day they spent together. At one time he knew at a glance if Leo had slept well, whether Josh had been successful on the Hill or if Sam was finding inspiration for his latest piece. CJ was all that was left of that band of brothers now and he fought down bitterness and nostalgia every time he thought of it. Despite the arguments which were a common feature of White House life they had felt invincible at the start of that second term, a united force fighting for something they believed. It was hard to fathom how they had reached a point where his fury blazed at the sight of Josh and CJ didn’t even have time to look up from her desk when he hovered in her doorway.

He thought at first that it was the loss of the others that forced him to cling to CJ. He was following the classic mourning process, teetering on the brink of denial and anger and furious at himself for being such a cliché.

For a while he had tried to believe that Will could fill the void left by Sam, but for all his undoubted skill as a writer and for all the others seemed to accept him, Toby found himself increasingly annoyed by small things he couldn’t place. He took as betrayal Will’s acceptance of the VP’s offer- an offer made by a man that Toby didn’t consider worthy of the office, and he brushed aside CJ’s suggestion that he was mad at Will for not being Sam.

Josh was a different matter. That was real betrayal in Toby’s eyes. Josh had been there from the start, he knew that this wasn’t a line on the CV. He should have known that you don’t just leave. 

With Leo’s health driven to breaking point even the President had seemed to lose focus leaving Toby and CJ to struggle on, holding things together while struggling behind closed doors to hold themselves together. They had argued and flirted their way through 7 years of the administration as colleagues, friends but now they were just surviving. The warmth was gone between them along with the small touches and easy banter. He knew she thought he resented her promotion and at first he had, partly because he had wanted the job but also because he knew the distance it would put between them. Some days he would feel himself behaving churlishly and hate it. For all the years that CJ was his subordinate it had rarely felt that way and he knew that the new awareness of their respective roles was as painful to her as it was to him.

It seemed perverse that the further apart they were pushed, the more he clung to her in his thoughts. He found himself making excuses to visit her in Leo’s office, adding to her workload by bringing her problems with the press that he would never have brought to Leo and later feeling guilty for allowing his self-indulgence to add to the dark circles under her eyes and the pain in her temples which never seemed to go away. 

He didn’t know when things changed for him.

At some point, amongst the desperation he realised that he missed her, not just as link to the past but for the moments they shared along the way- for her wit and strength and for the hint of something between them which was always just below the surface. It was to that undercurrent of feeling that his thoughts always now turned when he found himself alone at the end of the day. 

It was almost midnight when he made his way to her office with a coffee, determined this time not to argue with her. He didn’t expect to find her the way he did, tears falling on the mountain of papers in front of her, her head in her hands. She didn’t hear him until he was in front of her, gently placing a hand on her forearm. Her head jerked up and she fought to compose herself by wiping away the tears. She had never needed to hide tears from him before and the action hurt him.

“Toby, what can I do for you?” She stood and her tone was businesslike but the words rang around the office and seemed slightly ridiculous even to her.

“Don’t” His reply was quiet, authoritative and he reached across the desk to take her hand. She didn’t pull back as he moved around the desk. She hesitated but didn’t resist as folded her into his arms and felt the sobs wrack her body. He was distantly aware of tears welling in his own eyes as he stroked her hair.

When she at last drew back she held his hand and nodded silently, signalling that she would be alright, signalling her thanks. He marvelled at how they could still understand each other without words and it reassured him more than he had expected.

He let his hand caress her face one last time and smoothed down her hair. Hardly aware of his actions he stepped forward and kissed her on the lips. The contact lingered, different from the many kisses over the years when CJ had been at her most flirtatious or when they needed each other the most as friends. 

He turned and walked away wordlessly, pausing at the door to turn and see her with her fingertips to the place where his lips had touched. 

He knew it was the moment when things changed for them.


	2. Something unexpected

Something unexpected

“Where’s CJ?” Josh came barrelling down the corridor his bow tie unfastened and his tux jacket over his arm. He slid to a halt in front of Toby, arms flailing as the smooth soles of his dress shoes failed to grip the floor. He was met by a scowl.

Toby looked very deliberately at his open palms before reaching down to turn out his jacket pockets.

“No, she’s not in there.” His voice rose slightly. “How the hell should I know where CJ is?” 

The retort wasn’t original but the delivery, as always, was perfect- scathing and dry with a look that conveyed deep inner despair at the stupidity of all other people. 

For a second Josh looked shocked. There in his natural habitat he had approached Toby without remembering that things were bad between them. For a second he had been deputy chief of staff again, back in the days when he had joined “team Toby”, and the sudden jolt back to the present caused him to stand momentarily stunned with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.

Toby took pity on him, irritated at being swayed by the strange childlike quality to the political heavyweight in front of him. He sighed heavily. “You go find Santos and I’ll try CJ’s office”.

“Oh my God, the Congressman!” Josh set off again with his customary skip into his running stride as Toby shook his head in disbelief and set off in the direction of Leo’s office.

For once, Toby’s visit was without ulterior motive. He didn’t experience the slight nervousness which had recently seemed to well up at the thought of her and as he knocked on the door his thoughts were all of Josh. That changed the second the door was opened. Her back was already turned to him as she ran back to her desk to pick up the jewellery which was shimmering incongruously amid the muted tones of the dry reports piled there. He drew breath at the sight of the skin revealed by her backless red dress and the elegant line of her long body accentuated by the final sweep of her hair away from her neck. 

“I’ll just be a minute. Here, help me with this.” She hadn’t even looked back to see who she had admitted to her office and he was amused by her casual acceptance of help from the first person who came through the door. That was part of her charm. Sometimes she flirted knowingly, teasing with words and body but often, like tonight, she was entirely unaware of her appeal. The combination had led her to an easy, uncomplicated intimacy with the men surrounding her and any one of them would have been more than happy to fasten the delicate clasp of the necklace against her soft skin. 

She knew from the hesitation that it was Toby. Charlie would have responded efficiently with a confident touch, Leo by standing too close and allowing his fingertips to linger. Josh would have swallowed hard and made a flippant comment. Toby just hesitated.

She jiggled the ends of the necklace held behind her neck impatiently causing him to chuckle as he closed the distance between them.

“Is the Congressman here yet?” Distracted by their close proximity, Toby took a second to register that she had asked the question.

“I think so. Josh is here and since I find it unlikely that Josh could have found his way here all by himself, I’m going with yes.” He was rewarded with a small laugh from CJ as she turned to face him.

“This from a man who couldn’t find his way back to the world’s most famous landmark with all the resources of the world’s greatest superpower at his disposal.” 

Toby shrugged. “You forget that the common link in these navigationally challenged stories is Josh. He was like voodoo or something- everything he touched became cursed.” 

CJ was still smiling as she looked around for her purse and headed for the door.

“You’re beautiful.” The unexpected words softly spoken stopped her in her tracks.

She wasn’t sure she heard him properly above the sweep of her dress and the rustle of papers stirred up from the desk. He had called her beautiful before but the sudden sincerity in his simple statement caught her unawares after the earlier humour in his tone. She turned back to him and found him looking at her with a quiet direct gaze. He shrugged a little as if the words had surprised him as much as they had surprised her. He took her arm and guided her out of the office. She didn’t think to thank him.

Swing music was playing as they entered the ballroom but for once CJ found the noise and swirling colours too much, too intrusive to her thoughts and too bright for her mood. She hadn’t spoken since they left her office and now they headed straight to the champagne table wordlessly. Pushing through the crowds ahead of Toby she gasped as she felt him draw his finger once the length of her spine from the point where the low cut dress first revealed her skin to the place where he had fastened her necklace. Jostled by the throng of people he was pressed now against her so closely that she could feel his breath on her bare shoulder. He moved away as if nothing had happened once they emerged from the crowd.

“We should mingle.” he said. He hated these events and was never as comfortable as CJ, Leo and the President in making small talk with people he didn’t care about. Tonight though, he felt it was safer not to be alone with CJ for too long. 

She caught his arm as he turned to walk away.

“Toby, find me later.” The words sounded like an instruction but her eyes were questioning and intense as they searched his face. He was highly aware of her hand still on his arm and the fact that she had stepped in very close to him. He nodded and reluctantly moved away around the dance floor to the reception area where Congressman Santos and the other guests were gathered. She took a single calming breath before the mask slid into place and she headed towards where the President was talking animatedly to a group of visiting dignitaries.


	3. Something changed

Something undeniable

The first time it happened, he wasn’t sure if it was accidental. She murmured “excuse me” against his ear as she squeezed through a gap in the crowd behind him and for a second the front of her body made lingering full contact with his back. Her hand moved lazily on its path across his shoulders. The third time he knew that she was baiting him, teasing and challenging.

He watched her dancing from across the room. He loved to watch when she worked the room, moving easily between groups, sliding effortlessly into conversations and turning heads with her uninhibited laughter. Now she was dancing with Lord John Marbury, balancing subtle flirtation with professionalism. The subtle element of the flirtation, he reflected, was all on her side. Lord John always seemed inclined to combine almost archaic good manners towards women with unashamedly lecherous behaviour once within arm’s reach. Toby chuckled as he watched the Englishman’s hand creep progressively lower on her back and he admired the way she turned from the crowd before moving it back to its ballroom hold, appeasing him by pressing her body a little closer to his.

Toby caught her eye as she swayed and she saw the jealously behind the amusement in his look. She was performing now she knew he was watching, dancing for him and they both knew it. He saw her hand slide across her partner’s back and come to rest on his collar. Toby could practically feel the touch of her hand through the curls at the back of neck. She whispered something in the Ambassador’s ear which made him smile broadly and tighten his hold. Toby could feel the warmth of her breath and the heat of his jealousy.

When the music stopped he put down his glass and began to move towards her. He was halted when the President stood up to speak and she sat down at a table next to Josh to listen. Her eyes were on the President as she laughed at the jokes that had been added to the speech at the last minute but her mind was elsewhere as she crossed her legs to allow the slit in her dress to provide a tantalising glimpse of thigh. Toby knew it was for his benefit and he cleared his throat and looked away before his eyes and body betrayed him. He didn’t want her to know just how successful she had been in getting under his skin all evening.

Before he had composed himself enough to realise that the President had conceded the floor she was in conversation with Josh and being introduced to a tall young campaign aide who said something to make her throw back her head and laugh out loud. She seemed always just out of his reach for the next hour, moving on to the next group as he approached so that he was invariably drawn into conversation before he could make his way to her side.

It was one in the morning when she left the room for some fresh air. The champagne and tiredness made her feel slightly light-headed as she made her way down the corridor. From the doorway to her office, the faint smell of cigars alerted her to his presence before her eyes adjusted to make out the shadowy figure sitting on her couch in the dim light. He stood and used his whole body to push her back against the wall.

“No more teasing CJ” His voice was low and intense as he pressed his lips against her neck.

She felt her breathing grow shallow as her entire body responded to his closeness and insistent kisses. She ran her hands over the back of his jacket to his neck as reminder of her dancing some hours before.

“You have no idea what that did to me” he murmured in her ear in acknowledgement of the action and he was gratified to find that her laughter was closer to a moan as he moved his attention to her lips. 

Her bare leg snaked out from between the folds of her dress and wrapped around the back of his thigh to pull him hard against her. This time Toby was able to reach out and stoke the smooth skin

“You were so cruel tonight” he whispered “I wanted you so badly.” 

She had forgotten how good it could feel to be so desired and to feel the same frantic need herself. With the contact of his erection through their clothes she felt on the very edge of control and she wanted nothing more than for him to take her there, against the wall in her West Wing office. Her better judgement only narrowly regained command as he moved to lift her dress to do just that.

“Toby, we can’t.” It took her two attempts to breathe out the words and her hands continued to claw at his shoulders, belying her words. Somehow her voice penetrated the fog of arousal in his mind and he paused and looked at her. Her eyes begged him to stop and implored him to continue.

His arms dropped from around her and he stepped back looking shaken.

“CJ, I didn’t mean to....” He tailed off before continuing more certainly, almost angrily. “That’s not all I want from you- I didn’t mean to just…you know ” He gestured at the two of them as he turned his head away and looked down at the floor where his feet shuffled forwards and backwards around the same spot. 

“I know.” She spoke with quiet assurance and her expression was gentle. “Come home with me Toby.” He only began to breathe again as her words sank in. Her eyes still held fire and his hand on her back burned her as he nodded once and guided her out towards where her driver waited to carry them away from the restrictions of the White House.

Fin.


End file.
